Highlights of the American Rockies

We have chosen dates that are the best both for wildlife viewing and walking in the region.

The climate is generally sunny and dry. Temperatures can be high but are generally between 10° - 25°C (50° - 77°F) during the day, with cooler evenings. As you will be at altitude, we recommend bringing light layers as well as warmer clothing for the evenings. There may be snow at higher elevations.

On arrival, please proceed to the arrivals hall once you have passed through passport control, customs and baggage reclaim. Your HF Holidays leader or local leader will assemble the group in the arrival’s hall – look out for the HF Holidays’ sign.

If you are arriving ahead of the group, and are meeting them at the first hotel, please leave a message at the hotel reception for the HF Holidays’ leader or local leader, detailing your room number, and a mobile telephone number if possible. The leader will contact you once the group arrives.

If you are arriving after the group, a message will be left for you at the hotel reception, welcoming you and giving details of the time and place to meet the group.

If your flight arrives before the group flight and you would like to join the transfer to the first hotel, please contact our Abroad Administration team on (0)20 3974 8865 to enquire about availability and make arrangements.

As you’ll be carrying your own luggage at airports and between your transport and hotels, we recommend you try to keep your luggage to a minimum.

These items are a general suggestion of what to pack for an active outdoor and walking holiday; depending on your destination, you may need more of some things and less – or none! – of others. We advise being prepared for all weather conditions, but you’ll know best what you prefer to wear when out walking or while taking part in other outdoor activities.

• Walking boots (worn in), with good ankle support and non-slip soles and spare bootlaces
• Walking socks
• Lightweight fleece, waterproof trousers and jacket
• Shorts and short-sleeved t-shirts
• Long trousers and long-sleeved light-coloured shirts for the possibility of winter-weather days
• Walking poles

We recommend wearing walking boots on all our walks, as these provide the best ankle support and grip. Modern ‘approach shoes’ offer appropriate levels of grip and may be worn on some low-level walks, but users should be aware that they offer less ankle support. Lightweight trainers are not recommended for any walks.

Your clothing should ideally be pre-treated with insect repellent and in-built sun protection (available from specialist clothing stores such as Rohan, Cotswold Outdoor).

• Warm fleece, scarf/buff, hat and gloves; small torch/head torch
• Comfortable clothes and shoes for evenings and sightseeing
• Sun protection – sun hat, sunglasses, high factor sunscreen and lip protection
• Water bottle – at least 2-litre capacity
• Lightweight survival bag
• Small/medium rucksack (30 litre) and a liner or cover to keep contents dry
• Insect repellent
• Personal first aid kit including: personal medication, tissues, plasters, blister kit, painkillers, antiseptic wipes, Imodium, rehydration sachets; hand sanitiser 

Essentials

• Passport (and copies)
• Booking confirmation
• Insurance cover note
• HF Holidays’ registration form.

 Please ensure you have access to emergency funds should you need them; carrying a credit card is probably the most convenient method.

 Optional extras

• Camera
• Umbrella
• Binoculars
• High energy food bars
• Swimming costume and towel
• Small Tupperware box and sandwich bags for picnic lunches
• Walking sandals

Please note that your HF Holidays’ leader reserves the right to refuse to take any guest on a walk should they consider that a lack of suitable clothing/footwear may affect safety.

Companies operating outdoor or adventure activities in the USA now commonly require their clients to sign a liability waiver form before participating in the activity. These forms have been introduced by American insurance companies as a means of offering protection against ‘frivolous’ or ‘opportunistic’ legal claims.

During your holiday you may be asked to complete a liability form with your name, address and signature. This form indicates that by signing it you are waiving your rights to pursue legal action against our agents, in the event of personal injury or loss. However, as all the activities included in your itinerary are part of a pre-arranged holiday, booked and paid for in the UK, this waiver form has no legal weight whatsoever.

Your holiday contract is with HF Holidays and as stated in our Booking Conditions, is therefore governed by UK law. We must ask you to sign the waiver forms presented to you by our agents, as not doing so could effectively invalidate other key aspects of the insurance cover they hold, but please be reassured that in the unlikely event that you had cause to make a claim for negligence arising from your holiday, your signing of these waiver forms would in no way undermine or alter your legal rights.

Please contact us as far in advance as possible if you have any specific dietary requirements and we will do our best to meet your needs.

If you require a specific meal on the flight, please let us know as soon as possible, and no later than 96 hours before travel.

This information is subject to change. In all cases, we highly recommend you consult your GP both for up to date details and for more information on what is appropriate to your situation. As a rule, travellers should be up to date with their routine vaccinations and boosters as recommended in the UK - including, for example, the MMR and diphtheria, tetanus and polio vaccines.

Requirements can change, and we recommend you check in good time ahead of your holiday. Aside from the above recommendations, there are no specific vaccination requirements to visit the US.

Please note: the use or possession of some common prescription or over-the-counter medicines is banned in some countries.

 If you will be carrying medication, please check with the country’s embassy/consulate prior to travel. As an extra precaution, it is recommended to:

• Keep medication in its original packet
• Take a copy of your prescription
• If possible, ask your chemist to write the name of your medication in the language of the country you’re visiting

For further information on country specific advice, visit www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk or www.traveldoctor.co.uk.

Passports

Passports must be valid for the duration of the trip

Visas

You will need to get a visa or an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) visa waiver to enter or transit the USA as a visitor for business or leisure purposes. You should consult the US State Department website to determine which you will need.

The ESTA allows a stay of up to 90 days for British Citizens and a number of other nationalities. Please check the ESTA website above for the full list of countries and to submit your application at least 72 hours before you travel. Please note that this is the only official ESTA website. There are third-party companies that operate websites which look like the ESTA application site, but which charge a processing fee on top of the official fees.

You should be aware that if you have travelled to or have been in Cuba, or have travelled to or been in Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen since 1 March 2011, you are normally not eligible for an ESTA visa waiver and will need to apply for a US visa. Again, you should consult the US State Department website to determine which you will need.

The US Embassy advise that travellers who come under the following categories should not attempt to travel on an ESTA and should instead apply for a visa:

• those who have been arrested (even if the arrest didn’t result in a criminal conviction)
• those who have a criminal record
• those who have been refused admission into, or have been deported from the USA
• those who have previously overstayed an ESTA

Further details can be found on the US Embassy website.

If you’re arriving by air or sea you should provide details online as soon as possible and at least 72 hours before travel. This is known as an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation or ESTA. Getting an ESTA is a separate process to providing your airline with advance passenger information (details of your passport, country of residence, address of your first night’s accommodation in the US etc). For more information, and to apply online, visit the official ESTA website. Please note that this is the only official ESTA website. There are third-party companies that operate websites which look like the ESTA application site, but which charge a processing fee on top of the official fees.

Ticks are tiny creatures that live in vegetation and can attach themselves to passing animals or walkers and may carry a risk of Lyme Disease. Please refer to NHS advice and guidelines for information: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lyme-disease/ 

Once you have made your booking, you will receive a pre-holiday questionnaire where we ask for details of next of kin and insurance details. You must complete and return this to us - we need to have this from you at least 10 weeks before travel.

 Please also inform us of any medical situation which may affect your enjoyment of the holiday. This is important because our leaders must consider both group and individual safety at all times.

 Whilst out with the group, we respectfully request that you:

• Please listen to any safety instructions from the leader
• Keep group members in view, especially if weather or visibility is poor
• Please stay where you are if you become separated from the group. The leader will retrace their steps to find you.

 Each leader carries a first aid kit but is not allowed to supply any medication including aspirin, paracetamol, antihistamines and antiseptic cream. You may wish to bring these items with you in your own kit (see Suggested Kit List).

 In the unlikely event that your leader is incapacitated, please use any emergency kit in their rucksack and call emergency services on 911. Please then call our emergency number (sent in your final dispatch) and let us know there is a problem.

US Dollars (US$). Credit cards widely accepted. ATMs are widely available across the country.

To offer you the opportunity to explore the various options for dinner, 6 evening meals have not been included. We recommend you budget US$ 30 per person per meal for these.

You will also need money for tips, incidental items such as drinks with meals and any souvenirs you may wish to purchase. How much you bring depends on your spending habits, but US $50 per person per day should be enough for tips and to buy a couple of drinks with dinner, some small souvenirs and any other small purchases during the day.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is a condition of booking. Therefore, if you have not already arranged insurance, it is imperative that you do so, and advise us of the insurance company and policy number.

We work with Campbell Irvine to provide you with competitive single and annual multi-trip insurance. Please see our website for more information and details of how to contact them for a quote: https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/about-us/booking-information/insurance.

For more information about healthcare abroad and its costs, please visit: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/.

If you are arranging your own travel insurance, please ensure it is adequate for your specific itinerary. Generally, this should include cover for walking at altitudes over 2,000m, which will cover you for a wide range of our holidays.

Baggage allowance

1 piece checked-in luggage (max 20 kg).

Please check details of your airline’s baggage allowance, as shown on your e-ticket. Remember to also check any connecting flights you may have booked.

Lost/damaged luggage

If your bag or its contents are damaged or lost while in the airline’s care, this should be reported to the baggage service agents at the airport on arrival. They will assess the damage; in some cases, the airline may decide to settle your claim immediately.

You will be given a reference to quote to your insurance company if an immediate settlement is not possible - in many cases, baggage claims can only be accepted in writing. A baggage claim form must be obtained from the airport.

You will need money for tips, incidental items such as drinks with meals and any souvenirs you may wish to purchase. How much you bring depends on your spending habits, but US $50 per person per day should be enough for tips and to buy a couple of drinks with dinner, some small souvenirs and any other small purchases during the day.

GMT/UTC -6 or -7 hours in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. These states operate on ‘Mountain Standard Time’ (GMT -7) and ‘Mountain Daylight Time’ (GMT -6) in the summer months (circa March – November).

Electricity is 120V, mostly commonly with two flat pins. We recommend you take a universal adaptor.

ATMs are widely available across the country.

Tips have been included in your holiday price for key services such as local guides/driver and restaurants where your meals are included in the holiday price.

Any additional tips – including for any drinks at the bar and meals not included – are at your own discretion. Tipping is an expected part of American culture; your local guide can help advise on when to tip and how much.